Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Ginger is pretty amazing the way I see it. Since childhood, I've enjoyed it as one of the essential flavorings in Chinese cooking. More recently in college came the discovery that its candied form makes killer scones. But most impressive are its many medicinal uses. According to Gourmet Sleuth, it's a great natural remedy for "nausea, motion sickness, morning sickness and general stomach upset due to its carminative effect that helps break up and expel intestinal gas." Tea brewed from ginger has even been used to decrease nausea in people undergoing chemotherapy since it's unlikely to react with other medicine.

So I hope you love (or have just been persuaded to love) ginger as much as me. Cause this here is some Serious Ginger Cake. We're not talking about a measly spoon of ground ginger powder absentmindedly tossed into the batter. In fact, we don't even mess with that stuff. This recipe calls instead for no small amount of the freshest ginger root you can procure. Finely minced, it bestows the gift of its warm spiciness on every moist morsel of this cake.

The cake recipe used here comes straight from the fabulous blogger and cookbook author, David Leibovitz, who's generous to share what he says is his most-requested recipe. But Melissa of The Traveler's Lunchbox deserves a share of credit, too, for her spot-on pairing of juicy sweet roasted pears and tangy sour cream. It's worth the effort to make these as they elevate an already delicious cake to a multi-faceted dessert experience. I look forward to cozying up to a slice of this fragrant cake plus something hot to sip on in the cooler days ahead. Won't you please come join me?

XIAOLU'S NOTES: After completely failing with a box grater, I finely chopped my ginger by hand. When looking closely, I was able to see (but not taste) small ginger fibers in the baked cake. If you mind the sight even of fibers, I recommend using the freshest ginger you can find and chopping it in the food processor.

Position the oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/175 degrees C. Line a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan (or a 9 x 3-inch cake pan) with a circle of parchment paper.

Slice and chop the ginger very finely with a knife (or process in a food processor until very finely chopped). In a large bowl mix together with the molasses, sugar, oil and ginger. In another bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper.

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan, stir in the baking soda, and then stir the hot water into the molasses mixture. Gradually whisk the dry ingredients into the batter. Add the eggs, and continue mixing until everything is thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Top with crystallized ginger, if using.

Bake for about 1 hour, until the top of the cake springs back lightly when pressed or a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of the cake browns too quickly before the cake is done, drape a piece of foil over it and continue baking. Cool the cake for at least 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Remove the cake from the pan and peel off the parchment paper.

If you're making the pears, increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C. Nestle the pear halves in a baking dish just big enough to fit them in a single layer. Bring the remaining ingredients to a boil in a saucepan, stirring to distribute. Pour this mixture over the pears and roast in the oven, basting them with the liquid every 10 minutes or so, for about 25-30 minutes, or until the liquid is bubbling very thickly and the pears are tender when pierced with a knife. (Don't forget to remove the vanilla bean, rinse it lightly and add it to your extract jar or vanilla sugar jar, if you make these) Let cool slightly before serving.

Oh my! What gorgeous shots n I've just fallen in love with that copper/bronze(?)pan with pears. Now I am looking for them during my next flea market trip :-)How'd use light in the top photograph? I wanna copy it :-)

Yes please! I would love to come join you :) this cake looks simply divine! And from David Leibovitz's blog and The Traveler's Lunch Box - you cant go wrong. I cannot wait to make this baby. Thanks!Heidi xo

I love the flavor of ginger and it was only recently that I learned of its medicinal uses for stomach upset. It's been a great help to me, and I've made many ginger brews for an upset tummy. Thanks for more great info!

I am so into ginger right now, after many years of kind of avoiding it (I have no idea why; maybe because I really disliked it as a kid so I've just gotten into the habit of steering clear of it). So I'm fond of ginger and I'm also fond of pears, therefore this is a seriously appealing recipe right now. Only the fact that I'm all baked out for the day is stopping me from running to the kitchen and trying this out...

Fresh Ginger Cake - how much more gingery can it be other than nibbling on fresh ginger. I have tried ginger cookies, ginger chews, but not a ginger cake with roasted pears. Love using ginger in cooking though. :D

Just discovered your blog and I am so glad I did. Love the photos, writing and of course, the recipes. I just took a liking to ginger a few years ago and can't get enough of it now. I'm sure if I had this cake in front of me right now, I could not resist the temptation to devour the whole thing. Looking forward to more of your blog posts.

YUM! I adore ginger both for its flavor and medicinal purposes. A cup of hot ginger tea works wonders for a sore throat. Pairing this cake with roasted pears sounds perfect for a cold day. I'll definitely be making this as soon as leaves start changing color!

How exquisitely perfect! I love ginger and pear scones too. And I've been dreaming of poaching and roasting pears myself. I was actually thinking of making gingerbread cake with poached pears. Haha. I think your ginger cake is a bit more original though :)

grace - the pears would be great on any other spice cake too, I think. :)

Ju - aw that's high praise. thx so much.

Rita - you're too kind. the cupcakes on your site look delish, by the way.

Eliana - Welcome! Glad you're liking what you see. Definitely sounds like this is the cake for you =D.

smalltownoven - please do :).

Koko - thx, girl. I do love a good seasonal dessert.

noobcook - rustic is definitely the right word hehe. I had to think a while about how to capture it.

Laura - thanks! I'm glad I got to post it at the beginning of the season. hopefully it encourages more ppl to try it.

Hannah - :).

Angie - Glad you like it!Indie.Tea - thanks but I can't claim much originality as these are barely adapted from the 2 sources listed but why mess with a great thing? 8)

Pepy - Yep, my titles are accurate if anything! Love the sound of your tea. It's so much spicier and more interesting than my usual one with brown sugar.

Sweet Artichoke - thx for stopping by!

Spoon and Chopsticks - glad you like it. sorry I've never heard of molasses blocks. the kind I use is available at most American supermarkets and also on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Grandmas-Original-Molasses-Natural-Unsulphured/dp/B0005XP1E2/ref=sr_1_3?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1284849751&sr=8-3 If you live somewhere that doesn't sell it, you could also substitute with 2/3 cup (160ml) black treacle + 1/3 cup (80ml) golden syrup.

Sophie - mm I'm glad you and your husband could enjoy this together. my bf isn't as crazy about ginger as I am.

Those are most beautiful food photographs! It makes me think of the fall and then the warmth and the tending we all need.. your recipe and pictures says it all. With a delicacy like this how can we not come join you. Cannot have enough of ginger and this is seriously good.

I first tried crystallized ginger last year, while visiting my friend Valentina in London - I started eating the ginger like mad, and she told me it would give me a stomachache or something, but I just did not mind - I got addicted to the stuff. ;DFresh ginger is an older passion, though - and I cannot wait to try it paired with pears. Lovely recipe, sweetie!xx

Seriously gorgeous photos!! And the presentation with the cream draped just so - perfect! I love ginger in cooking but in baking, I only like using powdered ginger. I made ginger muffins once with fresh ginger and it was just too much for me. But I think the ginger was diced and not minced.

Gorgeous photography. BTW I made this cake this afternoon-chopped the fresh ginger in my food processor and hand mixed the rest. Baked it in a 9X13" baking pan (since I didn't have the right size round pan)linedwith parchment paper for approx 45 minutes. No pears this time around (my pears were too ripe), but I sprinkled powdered sugar on top of the rich brown cake and it looked beautiful. The fresh ginger and molasses work well together. Perfect moist and flavorful cake for a cold rainy fall evening!